what car do you have?

Rover 75 diesel estate, comfy , leather heated seats , dual zone climate control , 55pg on a run , xc bikes go in with wheels on but dh bike requires the front wheel off. Owned it for the last 8 years and intend to keep it going till it’s no longer feasible.

Pug 306 estate. 15 years old, 171000 miles, feels a bit “loose”, carries much kit and owes me bugger all.

VW Type 3 Fastback, with a roof rack.

Alfa 159ti. Actually ticks lots of boxes.
Lovely looking
Nice to drive
Fairly economical
Can get my bike in the boot with one half of the seats folded down, with child seat on other half.

1.9 04 citroen berlingo multispace
1.9 06 peugeot partner van

Both great for bikes

Most of a 1987 2.5td land rover 90 spread around the property, inside , outside and the garage- soon to be a 200 tdi rtv truck and winter snowpocapse vehicle.

Bingo Bongo- three people and bikes inside. Or two people, bikes, trailers (for bothy trips) and dogs.

Three weeks in the Alps needs the bikes carried on the outside! on the way to and from Les Gets but once there it is back to normal.

Totally great vehicle, love it.

Ambrose

Honda CRV. It’s rubbish, only today I folded the seats and carried two road bikes with wheels still on. This is rubbish because I took two mtbs to Devon a few months ago inside the car (with front wheel off), thinking “bikes in car”, I then forgot to bring the wheels home.

Has a four-bike rack on the roof for conventional/muddy duties that has served us well to France and Belgium.

Skoda Octavia estate. Was going to get the Superb but didn’t need that much space its mahooosive. They were doing a good deal on a new one (0% finance and free servicing) so for sake of hassle free driving went for that. Really pleased as new engine is awesome. Stuck roof racks on so is really good for bike trips.

The STW standard; Skoda Octavia

Me too also. Not quite as good for bikes as my old (04) Passat estate but still good.

03 Passat estate, usually use a tow bar rack but when i do put bikes in the car it swallows them. I’ve had three mtb’s upside down with wheels off in the boot, with people sat on the back seats. I don’t care about cars being exciting so i think it’s great!!

I do fancy a newer one but it’s on 187k at the moment and I want to get it to 200k first!!

Since crashed and replaced with… Another Passat!

Mk1 Berlingo
Clio 200

Last of the V8 interceptors. It’s booby-trapped so don’t even think about it.

BMW 318Ti love it, fits all my race gear no problem.

Favourite feature, rear boot is openable with a press of a button which at endurance races is great, key in back pocket, food and drink laid out in back, get close, press key, boot opens, dismount, feed, close boot and carry on racing.

BMW 320d Saloon, lovely for the miles getting to biking, abysmal for carrying bikes as the seats don’t fold down

Just got a cheap Renault Kangoo Van as a consequence 🙂

Another B5.5 Estate here, 1.9TDi Sport 6spd model. It’s 13 years old, has done 140k miles, and drives almost as good as new! Does well over 50mpg on a run (have had as much as 60, but 52-54 is more usual even when pressing on), swallows bikes with ease (29er’s with both wheels on even), is dead comfy and refined and…

Well, it’s my 3rd Passat of this generation. They’re not the most inspiring of cars, but they’re probably the perfect MTBer’s vehicle. Most go well past 200k before they’re not worth fixing (and even then the engine is still usually going strong), and parts are pretty cheap these days.

Also, just like northwind’s Mondeo, the rear seats pretty much never go up in my car either. I wanted a van, but given that I never need to transport more than 2 bikes at once, my Passat just makes so much more sense right now.

You’ll need a bike not a car for mountain biking.

Land Rover 110.
Carries three people and three bikes with the wheels on easily, but it’s not quite big enough to lock a tandem inside, so I have to improvise…

VW Scirocco R for every day fast use. Not bad on fuel. Not too good with bikes – got a special VW roof rack that appears to be made from stringy cheese and marsh mellows. Got a VW California for general biking duties (and holidays, trips to the tip, days out etc…). Bloody brilliant vehicle.

No car for me. Luckily Samurai has two Audi’s so the STW average is maintained…

Well, it’s my 3rd Passat of this generation. They’re not the most inspiring of cars, but they’re probably the perfect MTBer’s vehicle. Most go well past 200k before they’re not worth fixing (and even then the engine is still usually going strong)

My current one is on 94K (which I’m dubious about) but my last one had 234K when I sold it (but wish I’d spent the ££’s on it to get it through it’s test)

Got a 1999 Peugeot 206 GTI – fast and pokey and great on winding A roads but fairly useless for bike transportation. Need to take both wheels off to get any bike in.

A few years back had a saxo vtr that would fit 3 of us and 3 bikes in. Shame it failed it’s mot due to needing ‘welding back together.’

Got more than one friend who goes biking with you? Diesel estate minimum 50mpg.
If not a van.

I have a 98 Honda Odyseey.

A dream drive in every sense.

BMW 320d touring x 2. they take two bikes with the seats down plus they will take a 9’9” malibu board. I don’t like things on the roof or rear, makes me nervous.

Mine is one of the black and slightly dirt coloured ones.
A wheel placed, handily, at each corner, and one in front of the drivist.
There isn’t one in the boot, oddly.
And cunning gears that do things by there self!

An MX5.

Actually not too bad for me and one other. Have a Saris Bones 3 for the back that takes 2 bikes OK.
Can get spare clothes etc in the boot.
Has heated leather seats which will be nice when you’re soaked through.

Not hugely keen on ragging it around with the bikes on the back though – don’t trust the rack not to fly off mid power-slide

2011 Nissan X-Trail, 2.5l Petrol CVT. Heaps of space.

Rover 75 diesel estate,

Damn you I have the saloon! Needed a cheap auto during acl recovery was going to get shot of it but have fallen in love with leather seats!

Nissan Juke, back seats stay down nearly permanently. Can fit at least one bike in with the front wheel off. Have a rack but hate it.

Berlingo 1.6HDi (replaced a 2.0hdi Pug 306 – which was a bit too small, so when it died).
1 back seat permanently out (2 bikes – fronts out, down side), kit behind other 2 rears, clean stuff on rear seat, 50mpgish (to speed limit etc), have managed (easily – it was a right tetris and a half in the 306 and needed a roofrack) – 2 bikes, surfboard, walking kit and full camping kit easily – so can get stuff out etc without a repack

One with a flat battery this morning . 🙁

Nissan Micra Tempest, 2002 vintage.
I am at ease with the size of my penis. 8)

Up until recently an old Renault Megane with 160k on the clock. But a change of work means I don’t need it and so am car free for the first time since I was 18, it’s an odd experience. I do have access to my wife’s Micra if that helps, I can get 2 bikes in it with wheels off too, though I never have.

One with a boot big enough to throw a couple of bikes around in

Your mum’s.

A big silver T5 on silly wheels and suspension with red leather interior and ability to sleep 4 people.

Its not too bad I guess for biking.

Hoping it’ll be joined by something else next summer. Maybe a mk2 Golf, maybe mk1 MX5 #4.

Ye Olde Saab 900 3dr – can easily fit 2 bikes in the back with the seats up and the parcel shelf in. Long enough to sleep in with the back seats down, but you look like a maniac because escaping in the morning is a nightmare.

Ye Olde Fiat Panda – most stuff goes in if you take both wheels off – even had the tandem in it (with proof!), but you have to be a bit of a masochist. Often relegates it to being a single seater as well unless you get creative.

Just picked up a nice BMW 335d m sport. Really cheap. Not that it’s of any interest to STW.